One day, you're one step forward,
Two steps back.
You wonder if you'll ever be on the right track.
The next day, you're three steps ahead
Of everyone else
And you start to feel proud of yourself.
Every day is different.
But that's what makes it so exciting.
Roll with the punches,
And you'll come out bright as lightning

You keep pushing me aside
Because you're afraid I'll ask
What's on your mind.
The thing is, I'm not going anywhere
Because I care

You build me up,
Then break me down
Just to see if I'll stick around.
I might stay for a little while.
But if you try again,
I'll feed you to the crocodiles.

There are so many faces
in so many places,
I'm sure I could get in someone's good graces.
But I can't get to know anyone at all
If I don't start to break down my wall

Even when you're going through hell,
Even when you think you've found
The bottom of the well,
You still have a story to tell.
And in a world of 7 billion people,
Someone's bound to listen
Whether or not you're under a steeple.
And while you're at it,
That's the best time
to chase your dreams.
Because you don't have much to lose
When you feel you lost yourself years ago.

Here's to the women who stay strong.
Here's to the women who got men
To admit they were wrong.
Here's to the women
Who became mothers.
Here's to the women
Who don't take crap from others.
Here's to the women
who are struggling.
You got this. This one's for you.
Thank you for everything you do.

Today, the world was cold.
It's people mostly cruel.
So it's time to say goodbye. Good night.
May tonight be the night
The world begins again.

Words don't seem to mean much anymore.
Nothing's made sense
Since you walked out that door.
I don't understand how everything went so wrong.
Well, I guess the time has come.
It's time to move on.
Don't know how I'll get along.
Because with you, I felt strong.
What'll I do if I see you
Out on the street?
Not gonna punch or cry.
Won't raise my *******
to the sky.
Just gonna walk on by.
And if you grab my hand
As I walk away,
Baby, there's only one thing
I'll have to say. Move on.

You don't see the world I see.
You can't know who I'm meant to be.
So how can I trust you
when you say you know what's best for me?

Anyone can write poetry.
I say that because anyone
can tell a story.
Don't worry if you can't rhyme.
Most poetry doesn't. I just prefer to.
It helps with the flow
and keeping time.
Don't knock it until you try.
If you do, I think you'll find
It can ease your mind.

You could know everything,
But that won't mean a **** thing
If you don't start listening.
Listening to yourself.
To your body.
To your friends and family.
Listening to the people
Who ask for information.
Because they won't be interested
In what you have to say
If you don't care about
What they have to say.

Anger. Anxiety. Depression. Fear.
Imagine these feelings
Are a natural disaster.
What would they be?
Would they be an earthquake?
Making it feel hard to stay upright?
Do they create rifts
that drive you apart from loved ones?
Are they a tsunami?
Building up until one day, they burst, drowning you?
Or are they a tornado?
Just destroying everything in its path?
If you can find a way to explain what it feels like
When you're angry, anxious, depressed, or afraid,
it can be a good start to managing it.

If you want him, I could be the guy
Who makes you believe
That everything will be alright.
If you want him, I could be the guy
Who holds you til the morning light.
If you want him, I could be the guy
Who stays home with the baby
So you can have a girl's night.
I can be almost anyone
You want me to be
As long as I can still be me.

If you could live forever,
Would you ever
Let anyone stop you
from chasing your dreams
To be a singer,
do something that matters,
have all the money and material things.
I know that's not something
We can do,
but if that doesn't matter to you,
If you can handle the bad times,
If you can handle the cold nights,
If you're willing to do
whatever it takes.
If you're okay being lonely,
Then you're the only,
The only one who
can stand in your way.
If you don't let time be your enemy,
You can be whoever you want to be.

"How are you today?"
"Honestly? Stuck. Frustrated.
Like I want to give up."
"Okay. What's making you feel that way?"
"It's been a long time coming.
I feel like I've tried so hard
To find happiness.
I'm trying to talk to people.
I'm doing things I love.
But no matter what I do,
I just feel empty. Alone."
"Most of the time, happiness
Is a watched ***; it won't happen
If you're trying to find it.
Same goes for love.
Let me ask you this.
What does happiness mean to you?"
"Uh...I don't know? Hakuna matata?
Being able to actually laugh.
Being able to breathe."
"And can you do that
If you spend all your energy
Trying to force that?"
"Okay. I get your point.
I'm trying too hard.
So what do I do?"
"Let happiness find you."

Yes, we are part of the united States of America.
And yes, it is important to be proud
Of where you live and come from.
But it doesn't matter
how united we are.
We will always be divided some way.
But that's okay.
Because we still work together.
We're still human.
I know you're probably sick of me
Saying that word.
But the fact is, we can't be proud
Of where we live, where we come from.
We can't make social change
Until we're proud to be what we are.
Beautiful, fallible humans.

If you can't put words
To the pain and fear you feel,
Lose yourself in some good music
Until you start to heal.

Would you tell me a story?
Something that I've never heard before.
Could you tell me a story?
One that leaves me wanting more.
Won't you tell me a story
About a world that's better than this?
A world where the girl
Gives the guy a kiss

Sometimes, life is good.
And sometimes, it's bad.
Sometimes, life can even seem cruel.
But it can also be special.
Like when you become a mom or dad.
Now that we've talked about
What life is sometimes,
Let's talk about what it is all the time.
When it comes down to it,
Life is life.

Whether I run
In circles, ovals, or squares,
I'll go anywhere
To find someone who cares

I don't need another friend.
I just need for this dread to end.
Because you can only feel
Impending doom for so long
Before doom comes for you.

It's not about me. It's not about you.
It's about what we do.
What we do with the time we have left
With the people we meet.
With the challenges we face.
With the rumors we hear.
When we come face to face
With our fears.
With the love we have.
With the love we lose.
What we do when we have to choose.
What we do when we realize
We have responsibilities.
That's what life's all about to me.

I never thought
I could be the one you'd choose.
I never knew I had so much to lose.
I never thought
I'd be the one to say goodbye.
I never thought
that I could make you cry.
But then I died.

As the morning dew turns to frost,
Once again, we are blessed by beauty.
But at a cost.
For humans, the cold isn't much fun.
But ask a husky, they'll say they love it.
Because it gives them
the energy to play and run.
Eventually, we love it too.
It brings the promise of family, food, and something new.

Didn't see the signs
Or read between the lines.
Was blind because you were mine.
Didn't take the time
To make sure you were the one for me.
Just didn't want to be lonely.
And now you're going to leave me anyway.
But when you do,
Don't say "sorry, it's the way it has to be."
Don't say
"sorry. Maybe we're not meant to be."
If you want to leave,
I won't make you stay.
But if you want to leave,
I promise I'll be okay.

I know you like to be alone.
I know you like to do things on your own.
But some day, you're going to want a friend, so I was wondering,
Would you let me catch you
When you fall?
Would you let me be the one you'd call?
Would you let me help you end a fight?
Would you let me be the one
Who texts good night?
I know you don't want to rely on anyone,
But in the end,
Would you let me be your friend?

Physical death is permanent.
But emotional death,
(numbness, "feeling dead inside)
Is a starfish.
It can grow back
through a process called support

My eyes may say "cool as a cucumber."
But that's just what I want you to see.
Because in reality, my eyes
Are aquariums of anxiety in disguise.

NO ONE can help or please EVERYONE
But ANYONE can help or please SOMEONE.

There may be times
When we don't see eye to eye.
And our hearts may never beat as one.
But that doesn't mean
We can't work together.
After all, they say opposites attract.
So, what do you say we sit back
And let the chemicals react.

Hiding how you feel isn't lying.
In fact, for some people,
It's a form of surviving.
It may not be the healthiest way to heal;
Ignoring the pain and feelings
To the point It's not real.
But do whatever it takes
To see tomorrow.

I accept there will be times
When we don't see eye to eye.
After all, you grew up different than I.
I accept that some day, place and time,
We will die.
I accept the idea that we have souls.
That there are things that can happen
That are out of our control.
But I reject the suggestion
That there's nothing we can do to change it.
I reject that everything
is black and white. wrong or right.
I reject that life is a one way street.
Because I believe in second chances.
That there are more than 2 ways
Of looking at things.
And most importantly,
I believe that even if you go down
One path, eventually, you can choose a different one.
I know that what I accept,
Reject, and believe isn't necessarily
Relevant to you.
But different perspectives
Can help you get through.

Every night, I search the sky
For the stars that spell out your name.
Because ever since you left
Without saying goodbye,
Nothing has been the same.
So if I'm lonely,
I lie underneath your willow tree,
And as I look at the stars,
I swear I can feel you next to me.

I can't believe we've come this far.
Letting us see each other's scars.
I can't believe that you're still here.
Or that you've changed me so much
In less than a year.
I never wanted you to see
That I was an overthinker.
Or how much I love belting out
My favorite songs even though
I'm a bad singer.
I thought you wanted a protector.
That showing my fun side
Would drive you away.
Little did I know, that's exactly why
You decided to stay.

Why do we ask the same questions
Using the same words
And hope it is any more relevant
And meaningful
Than it was before?

If the truth is a lie,
Does that make a lie the truth?
Or is it simply denial?
Another example of the mind
Trying to find meaning
When it comes across something
It doesn't understand?

Red cheeks.
Flaming heart.
Soul stains and rusts
As it's consumed by lust.
But not for you.

It's not your fault if he doesn't say hi as you walk by.
It's not your fault if she doesn't seem to know you exist.
But it's not their fault either.
It's not your fault if you feel too much or nothing at all.
And if it gets bad, there's nothing wrong with curling up in a ball.
We all need an escape.
This is an important one.
It is NOT your fault if you get addicted to the drugs or the drink.
It's not your fault if you get so stressed, you can't eat, sleep, or think. It's not your fault
Because bad things, confusion, sadness, stress, loss, anger...it happens to everyone. It's not a choice.

I don't want to talk about the world.
I don't want to talk about the future
Or the past.
I don't want to talk about how old I feel or how the years fly by so fast.
I don't want to talk about my day.
I don't want to talk about the weather.
What I do want to talk about
Is what you need to make you feel better.

Work to live
But don't live to work
Unless you're working on yourself

Every day, you make a choice
To stay silent or raise your voice.
And that's your choice, and I respect it.
I just want you to know
That if today, you decide you want
To be a lion
and let people hear you roar,
I'll roar with you until you don't feel alone or broken anymore.

Just because the world changes
Every day, hour, minute, and second,
Doesn't mean you have to.
But, then again,
Maybe that's exactly why you should.

Whether you look up in the trees
Or down to the bottom of the sea,
Mother nature's beauty is plain to see.
But one look at the hurricanes
and fires on tv
Serve as a reminder
Of what she can do
if we make her angry

I wanted you to show me the way.
To give me a sign.
But I looked behind to realize, for once, I wasn't the last one in line.

This is not the end.
It's not the beginning.
It's not even the beginning of the end.
Sorry to say,
but you're stuck in the middle.
But the middle's not a bad place to be.
You learn what you didn't know
In the beginning, and you find the skills you need to get to the end.
It's where you learn
From your mistakes
And meet your friends.
The ones who make everything worth it. So don't feel stuck.
And don't be so anxious to get to the end. You never know. It might ****.

Live your life.
Because no one
can live your life for you.
And when you dream a dream,
Don't abandon it. Embrace it.
Because only you
can make your dream come true.

Give me your pain so I can understand
Give me your love
so I can be a better man.
Give me your hope
When I've had a bad day.
Give me words
when I can't find ones to say.
Whatever you can give, I'll take it all.
And in return,
I'll break down my walls.

The hardest lesson to learn
Is that hiding your feelings
Protects no one.
The hardest thing to accept
Is that you don't need to protect anyone.

In the dark of the night,
Be the light from the moon.

Stay alive. Stay in bed.
Stay with me. But stay out of my head.
When the day is long, stay strong.
And when everything's going wrong,
I'll pick up my guitar
And we'll sing our song.
If you're asked to stay away,
Please tell me we'll stay together.
Because when I'm with you, I feel better